Labor Day lessons

Labor Day is known unofficially as many things: the end of summer, the unofficial start of the school year, the last day to wear white.

However, we like to remember it for its original meaning.

Labor Day was born out of the Pullman Strike, which took place right here in Chicago more than 100 years ago.

After the federal government intervened and several innocent workers and family members were killed, Labor Day was established as a day to honor the strength and spirit of the labor movement and working people.

Would today’s government be so bold as to grant a national holiday out of respect to workers and the labor movement?

America’s middle class is suffering. According to the Pew Research Center, the middle class suffered more during the last decade than any other time in modern history, losing income, losing wealth, losing security and possibly even losing hope.

Meanwhile, Wall Street CEOs are back on top, riding high and enjoying the security that came in the form of taxpayer bailouts.

Working people didn’t create the mess we’re in today. But there’s no doubt they’re paying the price through layoffs, foreclosures, and austerity measures that threaten vital services and public safety nets. Funding to public schools is in jeopardy. Our roads and bridges are in real danger of fracture and failure.

America’s labor movement helped established the middle class. It did so by helping workers come together through the freedom of association to bargain collectively for a living wage, health insurance, retirement security, and safety in the workplace. Yet, union avoidance and union busting has become a multi-billion dollar industry in this country.

Working families have paid their share. It’s not fair to extend tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans while our communities suffer. It’s not right to ask working class taxpayers to subsidize corporations for offshoring American jobs through tax breaks.

It’s time that we build an economy that works for everyone.

That is why it’s important to remember the real meaning behind Labor Day this year. As the Republican and Democratic conventions convene, millions of Americans are hoping our elected officials will stop playing politics with our progress and recovery.

Our nation’s top priority should be to expand the middle class. The labor movement stands ready once again to do our part.